The Waiting
by Diva In The House
Summary: House/OFC from the Closing Time universe, an AU scenario of the season 6 finale. After the crane accident, Tricia and House decide they're tired of waiting for the rest of their lives to begin.


**So...okay, I wasn't thrilled with the last five minutes of the season finale. This is how it SHOULD have ended, from an O/C Babe point of view. In case it isn't obvious, I don't own House.**

# # #

She looks up every time the bell rings over the door, hoping to see him limp in. It was going to be a late night for him, she knew, but she still hopes he'll show up early.

Their relationship has grown over the last few months, and they're practically living at each other's apartments, shuttling back and forth across the hall. Her things occupy two drawers of his dresser, and she often finds pieces of his clothing scattered through her apartment as she tidies it. They've both casually mentioned giving up the charade and finding their own place together, but neither one of them has made any move to do so. What they have is comfortable, easy, and neither one of them has any real desire to change things.

"Hey, turn that up." A voice snaps her out of her thoughts, and she grabs the remote to turn up the TV that's over the bar. The screen shows a disaster scene, and she's immediately drawn to the story. A crane has crashed into a building, triggering the collapse of that building. Hundreds are injured, more are trapped inside.

She tunes in and out throughout the evening. The numbers of dead and injured keep rising, and reports that all available medical personnel have been called to the area have her worried. So far he has failed to show, and she wonders if he would be one of those on the scene.

She slips away for a moment and pulls up his number. The call almost immediately goes to his voice mail, no surprise. "Hey, babe. It's me." She tells the voice mailbox. "I guess you're running late tonight. Call me when you get this."

She closes her phone and returns to the bar, getting the occasional update from some of the patrons. The news story becomes the topic of the evening, and she finds herself feeling increasingly uncomfortable as the night wears on.

Finally she rings the bell for last call and starts closing the place down. Her brother closes down the kitchen and meets her near the cash register.

"Heard from him yet?" His gruff voice still manages to convey concern.

"Not yet." She doesn't want to worry, but she can't keep the tension out of her voice.

He wrinkles his brow and gives her a quick squeeze. "You want me to hang around?"

"No, go home." She answers with a slight smile. "I'll be fine."

He nods and turns to leave. "Hope he is, too."

Her heart warms a little at her brother's words. It's taken some time for him to warm up to her new relationship, but he's finally accepted it, and for that she's grateful. "See you tomorrow."

The back door closes, and she blows out a long sigh as she finishes cleaning the bar and turns out the lights, locking doors behind her. She didn't want to admit it to her brother, but she's worried. He hasn't called, and the news reports don't seem to be improving.

She goes home, her heart lightening when she sees his car parked out front. It sinks just as quickly when she doesn't see his motorcycle. Now her worry is replaced by fear.

She decides to let herself into his place. Some time at the piano might soothe her nerves, she thinks.

The place still smells like this morning's coffee, and she revels in the memory. Many mornings find them here, lingering over coffee and conversation before he goes to work, simply enjoying their time with each other.

A brief flash of a thought goes through her head. What if this morning was it? What if that was the last morning they would spend together, sharing coffee in bed as he perused one of his medical journals while she lost herself in her mystery novel? She wants to cry at the thought.

She pulls herself together with a huff. There's no sense in panicking. It won't make him show up any sooner.

Her phone goes off in her pocket, startling her. _We've got tonight…who needs tomorrow…_

Her heart leaps into her throat. It's him, or at least his phone. She quickly flips it open to answer. "Hello?"

"Hey." His gravelly voice makes her want to cry with joy. "Got your message."

"Where the hell are you?" So many emotions are roiling through her right now. If he's not seriously hurt, she might just kill him.

"Plainsboro." He answers, his fatigue obvious. "I'm in the ER."

"But you're okay?"

"Yeah. Kind of beat up, but…yeah, I'm okay."

"I'm on my way." She snaps her phone closed before he can answer, quickly leaving the apartment and locking it behind her.

She breaks a few speed limits getting to the hospital, willing herself to calm down as she finds a parking place and hurries to the ER entrance.

She makes her way to the check-in desk, and the man regards her with an arched eyebrow. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Doctor House."

He huffs irritably and rolls his eyes. "I can't imagine why, but I'll go check."

She hears him call out, and hears the unmistakable sound of his rough voice in reply. The man returns with pursed lips. "Go on, Beauty. The Beast is in the third bed on the left."

She suppresses a giggle and pushes through the doors, finding the curtained-off area and opening the curtain. What she sees makes her heart leap into her throat.

He's a mess, covered in dirt and dust. There is one long scratch down the side of his nose, and a bandage peeks out from under his t-shirt. He lifts his eyes as she approaches, a slight smile lighting his battered face.

He's battered and bruised, but he's alive. Gloriously, beautifully alive. She all but leaps into his open arms, pressing a long, hard kiss to his lips, fighting the tears that have suddenly sprung up. All the emotion that has coursed through her tonight comes pouring out, and she just keeps kissing him, holding his rough face in her hands.

Finally she breaks away, laying her head on his chest and wrapping her arms around him. She feels him slowly curl his own arms around her and pull her in, a ragged sigh escaping him as he rubs her back in small circles.

The sound of a clearing throat makes them slowly break apart, and a young blond man enters the cubicle, a clipboard in his hand. "You're free to go, House." He tells him as he hands over the paperwork. "How many lives have you used up now?"

He glances down at her while he signs the release and hands it back to the young doctor. "Too many."

The blond takes back the clipboard and nods to them both before leaving. Now they are alone again, and he reaches out to stroke her face. "Sorry I didn't call. Kind of hard to get a signal under ten stories of collapsed concrete."

"I don't care." She tells him as she places her hands over his. "Are you really okay?"

He nods, leaning in for a kiss. "Yeah, I think so." He sighs heavily and releases her to hop down from the exam table, wincing slightly as he does so. "Let's go home."

She falls into step with him, amazed at how agile he is despite his obvious pain. They climb into her SUV for a silent ride back to their apartment building, pausing in the space between their apartments.

"Coming in?" He asks her.

"Of course."

She changes into sleep clothes while he showers, and she feels him climb in just as she's about to drift off. Almost instinctively she rolls over to curl against him, her tears starting anew.

He wraps his arms around her, solid and strong, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She can swear she hears a ragged breath and a choked sound.

She reaches up to touch his face, and her fingers come away damp. "What's wrong?" She asks softly.

"Nothing." His voice is equal parts soft and rough, the emotion obvious. "Just…thinking." He takes a breath, clearing his throat and shifting while pulling her in close. "I could have…well, a lot could have happened tonight. Got me thinking about what I might have missed."

She holds her breath, waiting for him to continue. He rolls toward her, pillowing his head on his arm and gingerly slipping the other over her waist, his hand pressing into the small of her back. "I…don't want to miss another damn thing." He huffs nervously. "I want you…in my life…forever." He kisses her lightly. "Marry me?"

A million emotions crash around inside her as she considers things. "Are you serious?"

He nods firmly. "Been thinking about asking for a while, but…I kept putting it off."

She laughs softly. "Why?"

There's a brief pause before he answers. "Because I didn't know what I'd do if you said 'no'."

She presses a hard kiss to his lips before pulling back slightly. "You don't have to worry about that."

His smile grows wider, and his hand smoothes over her. "So is that a 'yes'?"

She nods and shifts closer, curling into his chest with a smile. He responds with a low rumbling laugh of his own, the sweetest sound she thinks she's ever heard, especially after this impossibly long night.

"I'll take you ring shopping tomorrow." He tells her.

"It can wait." She answers.

"No, it can't." He replies softly.

She decides not to argue the point as she lies against him, listening to the sound of his strong, steady heartbeat. Come to think of it, she doesn't want to wait, either. They've put off their future long enough. As far as she's concerned, the waiting is over for both of them.

# # #

**You know what happens now. Reviews are loved and appreciated.**


End file.
